Neonicotinoid insecticides induce salicylate-associated plant defense responses

Neonicotinoid insecticides induce salicylate-associated plant defense responses.

Neonicotinoid insecticides control crop pests based on their action as agonists at the insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which accepts chloropyridinyl- and chlorothiazolyl-analogs almost equally well. In some cases, these compounds have also been reported to enhance plant vigor and (a)biotic stress tolerance, independent of their insecticidal function. However, this mode of action has no...

Neonicotinoid insecticides and bees

Risks of neonicotinoid insecticides to honeybees

The European honeybee, Apis mellifera, is an important pollinator of agricultural crops. Since 2006, when unexpectedly high colony losses were first reported, articles have proliferated in the popular press suggesting a range of possible causes and raising alarm over the general decline of bees. Suggested causes include pesticides, genetically modified crops, habitat fragmentation, and introduc...

Fall Armyworm-Associated Gut Bacteria Modulate Plant Defense Responses.

Mechanical damage caused by insect feeding along with components present in insect saliva and oral secretions are known to induce jasmonic acid-mediated defense responses in plants. This study investigated the effects of bacteria from oral secretions of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda on herbivore-induced defenses in tomato and maize plants. Using culture-dependent methods, we identifie...

A Laboratory Bioassay for Monitoring Resistance in Tarnished Plant Bug Populations to Neonicotinoid Insecticides

A laboratory bioassay was developed for testing tarnished plant bug populations for resistance development to the neonicotinoid insecticides imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. The bioassay allows for the determination of LC50 values by feeding known doses of the insecticides to adult tarnished plant bugs in a honey-water solution. Field populations of plant bugs from several locations in the mid-So...